Deepest Desire
by YarningChick
Summary: For humiliating the Cat King, Haru's punishment is to forever be denied what she wants the most. But when a gentleman cat finds a loophole around the dreaded curse, how far will he be willing to go to save the girl's life?
1. Daring Deeds

Extra

Author's warning; this story is a bit on the redundant side. It's loosely based off of The Little Mermaid (I went way off course as usual), but sincerely hope that everyone enjoys the story anyway.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Chapter One: Daring Deeds

_In the fading light of a small town, a tawny cat held a small kitten his mouth. Using every possible precaution, he slipped in between buildings and enclosed areas until he saw his goal._

_To the untrained eye, it looked like all the other buildings in the area, save for the long signs over the double door entrance, proclaiming the name of a movie that was about to play within. He grinned, certain that he had made it in time. Using knowledge from previous visits, he slipped around to the back way, and let himself in through the lone open window._

"_I don't see what's so special about this place, Father," the small kitten commented as the tomcat started climbing the stairs up to the special room. He would have answered his son, but decided to wait until after he reached his customary place. Coming to a large door, the tawny cat sat on his haunches and politely scratched at the door. Soon, an old and very tall human opened it, and grinned at the familiar cat. He stepped to the side and gave a bow, grinning widely._

"_I was wondering if you were going to make it, my lord." The name was a bit of a joke, but it suited the cat well for his dignified air. He bowed politely as he entered the movie booth, and jumped into his customary place on the pillow next to the open window space that the movie projector could shoot its images out for the audience below to enjoy. The man walked over and stroked the kitten softly, chuckling a bit._

"_I see that you're introducing your young to the finer things. Good lad; nothing beats a night at the movies."_

_The father nodded his head in acknowledgement before directing his son's attention to the screen. _

_At first, the kitten still didn't see anything different. But then the lights went off, and the projector next to him shot out a beam. The kitten yelped in surprise, but his father firmly kept him from falling over the edge. Once the kitten settled down, he started to enjoy the story that was playing out before him._

"_This film's very old; older than your grandfather," the tawny cat whispered to the younger. "It's a silent film, but I know how to read human. Just enjoy the show, son."_

_The young kitten happily did so. The hero of the story was, strangely, an outlaw that stole from the rich in order to give to the poor. The people loved him, but not the higher class, save for one. A fair young maiden, a nobleman's daughter, was the outlaw's lover. With bated breath, the kitten watched the outlaw perform daring feats, punish the wicked, and save the damsel in distress. The outlaw was rewarded for his deeds by the returned king, and lived happily ever after with his love._

_As the lights came on, signaling the end of the picture, the elder cat chuckled and nudged his son._

"_Well? Did you see anything special?"_

_His son nodded._

"_That was wonderful. Father, can I learn how to fight with a sword like that? Can I learn to do what Robin Hood did?"_

_The cat laughed again and licked his son's face affectionately._

"_Yes, you can. You can do anything you set your mind to, as long as you believe you can."_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Years after that night, a familiar tawny cat was once again looking up at the signs, outside the movie theatre. But unlike last time, the building was in a terrible wreck, obviously condemned. The cat, instead of having dark emerald eyes, had soft and light mint ones.

Baron Humbert von Gikkingen sighed; wishing that he had paid a visit sooner. He hadn't visited the place since his father died three years before, and had been struck with a passionate desire to see the place again, before returning to his home in the Cat Kingdom. He had spent the past two years as the ambassador to the Southern Circle, which was far more south than most cats were willing to go. But the baron lived on going where no cat went before.

Sighing, he turned down the rain-ridden sidewalk and started searching for a safe place to make a portal to his home world. His fur was starting to stink terribly, and it would take him forever to dry off.

Without warning, a truck swerved on the slick road, and headed straight for him. Making a split-second decision, he jumped out of the way… and off a tall bridge, landing directly into the river below.

The icy water soaked him completely through, and he had so much difficulty, trying to stay above the water.

"Please! Someone… help…"

The raging water wouldn't allow him to say more as it flooded his mouth and body; making his spirit fade. The last thing he felt before giving himself up to fate was being held close to something firm, and safe.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

When the tawny cat finally struggled to regain consciousness, he was _warm_, and _dry. _He purred with pleasure as he opened his eyes, and looked directly into a portable heater, on full blast.

Realizing that he was wrapped up in a blanket and arms, Baron looked up in order to see his rescuer's face.

She was a very fetching young lady; a human, dressed completely in white. By using his sixth sense, he could tell that the girl was a cat speaker; a rare treasure indeed, to find in the human world. But there was something else; something of magical origin hidden deep within her soul. She was sitting semi-upright in a worn couch, in a large and inviting living room; sound asleep. Her long dark brown hair was also completely dry; making the cat wonder how long he had been out.

"Don't get any ideas, buster. Haru's _my _human, got that?"

Not recognizing the gruff voice, Baron looked over to the girl's side to see an enormous white cat glaring at him. The tawny feline blinked.

"By all means, I have no intention of stealing her."

The cat grunted, but kept glaring at him.

"If Haru gets sick from helping you, I'll skin you alive. She has enough grief to deal with."

'_Her name's Miss Haru then.' _The tawny cat looked up again, to study this brave girl. She didn't look like she was going to get sick, even if she was a few shades too pale. He smiled; wishing that she would wake up, so he could express his appreciation for her courageous deed.


	2. Miss Haru's Predicament

Extra

Chapter Two: Miss Haru's Predicament

_Fighting back the last of her giggles, Haru reached the restaurant, and straightened out her attire. Machida had been talking about this night for weeks, as had all the members of his family. Only one thing could explain their behavior, and that was a proposal._

_Taking a deep breath to calm herself down, she walked through the front door, and up to the seating desk._

"_Hello. I'm here for the Mishuzi table."_

_The waiter barely glanced up from his registry, gesturing with one hand in the appropriate direction. She cocked her head, since this was a high class place, which usually meant the best service. Shrugging off the strange feeling and her coat, she found her boyfriend through the mass of tables. She smiled widely, and snuck up behind him in order to rub his shoulders while he was engrossed in the menu. He looked up, and around in order to look at her. His eyes faded slightly._

"_Oh, Haru. I'm glad that you were able to come."_

_She smiled widely, completely missing the lack of enthusiasm as she seated herself._

"_I had a bit of trouble with an old jerk, but all's well now."_

_Machida seemed to be struggling to keep his attention on her, and not the menu._

"_That's good."_

_Silence followed his statement. Feeling a little uneasy, Haru looked at her own menu. But everything offered just seemed too fancy then what she wanted right now. She glanced up, wondering why Machida was ignoring her._

"_Did you have a bad day at work?"_

_He glanced up, and struggled to keep his attention on her._

"_No, it was fine." He put the menu down, and turned his attention out a window, which was half a room away. Haru struggled to contain her anger._

"_Machida, something's troubling you, and I want to know what."_

_He looked at her again. He started breathing heavily._

"_I don't know how to say this politely, Haru. I came in here with every intention of getting down on one knee and asking you to be my wife. But, now, when you're right here in front of me, I can't imagine why I would ever want to do such a thing."_

_Haru's heart froze._

"_It was because we love each other. We're happy together; do you need a better reason?"_

_He sighed and stood up from his chair._

"_I don't know why I said that, or thought I felt that. I don't know why I thought you were so interesting. Sorry, Haru; I can't do it." He pulled out a fifty and left it on the table for a tip. "Have a nice life." With that, he turned his back, and walked out of the room, never turning back in order to look at her._

_The brunette's insides slowly frosted over with ice, disabling any movement she might have taken._

'_He really did it. The spell was genuine.'_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Haru grimaced; forcing herself to wake up from the terrible nightmare. She suddenly shot forward in her sleep; a gasp on her lips and a yowl from the cat on her lap. The slim brunette looked down and smiled.

"Sorry about that. Glad to see that you're okay." The brown-eyed girl unwrapped the cat from the blanket, and let it move outside of her arms. He hopped onto the coffee table directly in front of her, and stood up on his hind legs in order to bow prettily to her.

"Thank you for saving my life, Miss Haru. I was in quite a predicament when you came along."

She pulled a face; remembering the last time she had rescued a cat so drastically.

"As long as you don't try to take your thanks too far, I'll call it even."

He cocked his head at her.

"What do you mean?"

Muta grunted.

"Come on; haven't you figured it out by now? This is _Haru_ _Yoshioka_."

The guest cat blinked.

"I'm afraid the name doesn't ring a bell; I haven't truly been in contact with the kingdom for the past two years."

Muta growled in exasperation, making his mistress reach over with one hand in order to pet him soothingly.

"Suffice it to say; I got on the wrong side of the Cat King six months ago and am still paying a heavy price for it. We didn't catch your name?"

The cat blinked again, and bowed once more.

"I am Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, but personally prefer 'Baron'." He straightened again, looking at this fetching young woman. "If this price you're paying is a little too heavy, I can try to fix it, if you wish."

She sighed tiredly.

"What, are you a good enough magician to combat the Cat King's magic?"

"I'm good enough to offer my assistance. Please, Miss Haru; I owe you my _life. _Is this punishment something fixable? What did you do to earn it?"

The brunette sighed again.

"You _have _been isolated, haven't you? I saved Prince Lune's life six months ago. His father started raining cat gifts on me, hoping that I would consider marrying the prince. I said no, and so did the prince, since he already had a girlfriend and had just proposed to her. I thought that the king would leave me alone after that, but he didn't. Since his son was married, he wanted me to marry _him _instead. But I already had a boyfriend, one that was going to propose that very night. To punish me for humiliating him in front of his subjects, he cast a spell that made me half a step above being invisible to other humans. No human really cares about me, including my own mother. She didn't even say goodbye when I said I was moving out."

Baron was staring at her, incredulous.

"I wasn't aware that a spell like that could work on a human. I'll have to look at my books, in order to find a solution."

Haru sighed again.

"You'll be sure to find us here, Baron. If there is anything at all you can do to help me with this, I would really appreciate it."

"And don't tell anyone in the kingdom where to find Haru, or I'll sit on you," Muta threatened, glaring at the intruder again as his mistress ran her fingers through his soft fur. Baron bowed again before making a portal; certain that being sat on by the fat cat wouldn't be a pleasant experience, if he even survived it.

"I wouldn't dream of breathing a word about Haru to anyone. I'll return as soon as I find something."


	3. Aunt Caring

Extra

Chapter Three: Aunt Caring

Haru sighed again as the blue light faded. She didn't have much hope of success, but at least the tawny cat had asked to help her instead of informed. Baron had been really lucky that she had been out grocery shopping, because she didn't leave her home at any other time. She stretched again, letting the thick blanket fall onto the couch and floor as she stood up.

"How does scrambled eggs sound, Muta?"

"Great, Chicky." He grinned at her before leading the way to the kitchen. The slim brunette put unusual care into preparing the ordinary dish, giving her cat a little bit more than she knew she should. But it made her feel better to pamper someone, anyone. Muta complimented her on her cooking before licking her cheek and rushing off to take a nap.

Numbly, Haru washed the dishes by herself, cleaned up the kitchen, and headed up to her office.

The house was one that her mother had owned for five months, since the death of her grandfather. It wasn't really even a house; it was a retired lighthouse. Her mother had been trying to sell it, with furniture and all.

At least… before the brunette got cursed.

When Haru left her home town, she took all of the papers that her mother would have needed in order to sell the lighthouse, and a small note saying that she had done so and was moving into her grandfather's home, although she somehow knew the note would end up in the garbage unread.

She sighed again as she reached the very top of the lighthouse, the climb being more draining on her than usual. The slim brunette had less and less energy, with each day that passed. Sitting herself behind her desk on the opposite side of the stairs opening, she logged onto the internet and checked her email.

210 messages. She grinned, glad that she was at least earning her paycheck. After the curse took hold on her, Haru had taken a job at an online magazine on the condition that she never physically meets with anyone. Mr. Nashima, the owner of Web's Weekly, hadn't been too hot on her condition, but ever since taking Haru on as the anonymous advisor, subscriptions had doubled, as had her paycheck. She clicked on the first message.

_Dear Aunt Caring,_

_My mother-in-law is driving me crazy! I clean the house from top to bottom every time I hear that she's coming over for a visit, but no matter how hard I try, she always manages to spot a place I somehow missed, and doesn't hesitate to point out that her house is the picture of perfection. That's easy for her; she has one cat and no children around the house anymore. I, on the other hand, am the proud mother of not one, but five growing boys! I am doing the best I can, but I can never measure up to her standards. Did I mention that she didn't want me to marry her son in the first place?_

_Please! Any advice at all, I'll take it!_

_Overwhelmed Mother_

Haru smiled warmly, and started typing a reply for the dear soul.

_Dear Mom,_

_First of all, hats off to you! It's wonderful that you try to please your mother-in-law, and I'm certain that you're doing an excellent job with raising your boys. On the other hand, the problem may be that you and she are focusing on the wrong things. _

_Now, if the things your mother-in-law have been spotting is something like a corner of the fridge that didn't get as well scrubbed, then suggest that she stays for a week, physically helping with keeping the house as neat as a pin. I'm betting that not only will your five boys give her a run for her money, but it will also give her an inside look at what your life is like, and you might want to throw in a comment or two about how easy things are, with the two of you (but don't go overboard, unless you want her to move in). It's obviously been a few years since she was in your shoes, and who knows? Maybe she had an overly judgmental mother-in-law, and is using you to vent off the aggression she felt back then._

_As to not wanting you to marry her son, ask yourself; do you love each other? Do you make each other smile, are you happy together? If you have an honest love, do as much as you can for your spouse, and are willing to go through all the hard parts of life together, then she has no place to complain. Keep your chin up, and remember to treat your future daughters-in-law with the praise and love that you crave now. Even if your relationship with the woman never improves, let others benefit from your experience._

_With love,_

_Aunt Caring_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Several hours later, Muta finished climbing the stairs, and looked out the window that made the walls. The sun was sinking into the darkening sea, lighting it on fire. He grinned; knowing that the view was the main reason Haru chose this part of their home to be her office. He waddled over to the desk, noting that she had fallen asleep on her desk again. She had been taking more and more naps, now that the cat thought about it. But he didn't mind at all; his mistress was so _stunning_ in slumber. His heart quivered, watching her slowly breathe in and out, her hand unconsciously rubbing the mouse to her computer. A look of extreme anguish came over her features, like she was having a nightmare again.

Shrugging it off as the weather, he started purring and rubbing his ample body over her legs. Haru shifted around, groaning as her eyes opened. She looked down at him and smiled.

"Let me guess; dinner time?"

He shrugged his huge shoulders, grinning widely at the girl. The only one to know who he truly was, and accept him anyway.

"Well, as long as you're up…"

She laughed, and clicked a few more buttons on the computer to send her day's work to the magazine website.

"It's too bad that the magazine can't show all of the questions that people ask me. There are so many people that need help, and doing ten people per week isn't going to cut it."

Muta grinned at her before leading the way down the stairs.

"But at least you're doing something."

She nodded as she followed him down the spiraling staircase, gripping the rail firmly for balance, still feeling tired.

'_It's just not fair. How is it possible that I can help so many people with their problems, but I can't even solve my own? I hope Baron finds something.'_


	4. Louise

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Chapter Four: Louise

Baron growled in frustration, surrounded by piles of books inside his library. He tossed aside the book he was holding and climbed up a ladder in order to reach another book.

"My lord!"

The tawny cat looked down, to see his maid, Louise. The white cat was holding a neat little lunch between her paws on a platter. She blushed a bit at his gaze, but placed the platter on top of a smaller stack of books.

"Whatever you're looking for, it won't do any good to faint from hunger when you find it."

He sighed, and reluctantly climbed down from his place.

"I suppose you're right." He took the cold fish sandwich and neatly bit into it. "Excellent, as usual."

She blushed a little at the praise, and looked down at the ground; a silly smile on her face.

"Thank you, my lord." She turned to leave, but then Baron stopped her.

"I heard a funny rumor on my way home. What can you tell me about a Haru Yoshioka?"

The maid stiffened.

"The king's forbidden all talk of her, until the year is up."

Confused, the tawny tomcat walked up behind the maid and gently turned her around to face him.

"The king doesn't need to know. Please, Louise."

The maid blushed again, and bit her lower lip.

"She's a hero. Prince Lune was visiting the Human Kingdom to find a proposal gift for the girlfriend no one knew about, at the time. He lost his grip on the gift when he was on the road, and almost got ran over by a truck. Miss Haru was nearby with a friend. She stole her friend's lacrosse stick, ran in front of the truck and swept the prince out of harm's way, nearly getting hit herself."

Baron's mouth dropped open.

'_Why didn't __**she **__say that?!'_

"To repay her, the Cat King sent her five gifts; a lawn full of cat tails, a hundred new lacrosse sticks for her friend, since Miss Haru broke the first one saving the prince, catnip perfume over all of her clothes, and a kitchen full of packaged mice, enough to feed her and her mother for several months. The problem was, Miss Haru's allergic to cat tails, one stick would have been fine for her friend, catnip doesn't interest her, and she and her mother hate mice with a passion."

Baron nodded. Being introduced at a young age to human movies, he had a fair idea of how a human would respond to such gifts.

"You only named four gifts."

She nodded.

"The king didn't realize that she couldn't read cat, so when he sent her an advisor, it was a complete shock to her that the king was offering her his son's paw in marriage. She said no; she was already seeing someone that was going to propose soon. When the prince found out, he told off his father for trying to engage him to a near stranger, and revealed that he had fallen for a servant girl instead, and that she had accepted his proposal.

"The king wasn't too happy, but he knew an agreement was an agreement. I think he really liked the thought of five gifts, because the next day he came to Miss Haru's place again, and offered to marry her himself. She didn't care much for the idea, and turned him down again." The maid sighed. "You've been gone for a while, so you probably don't know that the old berserker blood was starting to show in the king about then. He was insulted that Miss Haru was choosing some human boy over him, and tried to carry her off to the kingdom without her consent. I wasn't there when the soldiers returned without her, but I'm told that they were beaten brutally for trying to force Miss Haru to come to the kingdom. They still refuse to say what the human did to them. The king realized that he could never force someone as free-spirited as her to come and be his queen, so he cursed her."

Baron gently squeezed her shoulders, and pulled her a little closer; his gaze intent.

"What was the curse?"

The white cat silenced her thundering heart beat and swallowed, willing some moisture to return to her mouth.

"No one knows. He was in a terrible mood when he returned; bad enough to blow up a tower to vent his aggression. When the dust settled, he made a proclamation, forbidding all of his subjects from speaking of Miss Haru for an entire year. Six months have passed by since then, and no one knows what will happen when the year is up. No one even knows where Miss Haru is. She disappeared off the face of the earth, and strangely enough, no one in the human world is searching for her." She shook her head disbelievingly. "I just don't understand. I never personally met her, but I still think high enough of her to care if she's okay."

Baron nodded, and released the white maid.

"Thank you, Louise. That has been most helpful." He turned back to his lunch, and ate quickly, determined to help the girl. Louise tried to leave again, but stopped short of pushing aside the emerald curtain covering the doorway.

"I just remembered something else, if you want to know it."

Baron nodded at her, taking a napkin to his face to be rid of any crumbs.

"The servant girl the prince married. She had met Haru when the two were very young. Miss Haru saved Princess Yuki from starvation by giving her most of a box of fish crackers. Prince Lune had heard much about the fish-cracker girl from his then-girlfriend, and made that his engagement gift to her. It was a box of the same crackers, that he had lost his hold on, when Miss Haru saved him. So, it's Miss Haru's fault that the royal couple are together, and alive."

Baron dropped his handkerchief; disbelief clear on his handsome face.

'_All this trouble from cats… how did she find it in her heart to rescue me?'_

Louise smiled warmly before taking the lunch dishes with her out of the room. Once outside of Baron's gaze, she started breathing heavily, thrilled that she had maintained her calm so well.

She had to admit; she was envious of Princess Yuki. She wished that the wonderful baron von Gikkingen would take a leaf out of the prince's book, and consider marrying a servant girl.

Her. She had loved him for so long…


	5. Baron's Discovery

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Chapter Five: Baron's Discovery

'_Miss Haru's even braver than I thought she was,' _Baron thought to himself as he scaled the walls, trying to find a spell that matched Louise's and Miss Haru's stories. Although there were many spells to keep humans unaware of kingdom doings, there were none to render a human almost invisible.

Growling in frustration, he slammed down the latest book, and decided to ask the lovely brunette for more information. Making sure that no one could see what he was doing, he made a small enough portal for him to slip through.

He fell into the darkened living room from before, finding it dark and deserted.

"Miss Haru? Muta?" Getting no answer, he started exploring. After a little running around, he found a staircase that spiraled upwards. Strangely, when he came to doors, none were closed, though maybe halfway open. He looked in the first room, finding it to be for storage. The second one was a dusty guest bedroom, but deserted.

Beginning to feel a little put out, he gave the next room barely a glance, realizing when he had almost past it that it was the right room. He turned around in order to look within.

On the canopied bed, a restless figure lay in troubled slumber. Feeling a little edgy, Baron padded into the room, noting the few decorations. The carpet, walls, and ceiling were white, like a sterile hospital room. Even the blankets and upholstery in the room were as white as snow. Baron jumped up onto the bed, and came closer to Haru's face.

She had left the windows uncovered, allowing the pale moonlight to caress her smooth skin and face. The lovely brunette seemed paler than ever; giving the image of one lying on a bed of snow. Slight sweat beaded her brow as she panted slightly in her sleep; another nightmare no doubt. The _anguish _on her fair face…

Baron never really figured out what drove him to do what he did next. Swiftly, but carefully, he placed his furry lips over her smooth ones in a chaste kiss.

Tears immediately flooded from Haru's eyes, and her breathing became sharper. In her restless sleep, she wrapped one arm around the feline and pulled him closer; begging him with her actions to not leave her alone. Baron was stunned at her reaction, and at how strongly the human girl was clinging to him.

Like a lifeline.

'_This is probably the first kiss she's had since becoming cursed.'_

That's when he knew. As much as he didn't want to leave the girl alone again, he broke off the strange kiss and wiggled out of her arms. They flailed around, trying to find him as tears continued to flow in an endless river down her cheeks.

"No, don't go," Haru sobbed in her sleep as Baron opened a portal, leaving the room in a flash of blue light.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The tawny cat did his best not to jump to conclusions, as he entered his library again. This time, he knew exactly where to look to find the spell that could be responsible for the brunette's terrible plight. Up in the east corner, he hesitantly eased a plum-colored textbook out of its place; having not seen use since his father had been alive. With shaking paws, Baron looked at the index, and turned to the correct page to solemnly read; Haru's weeping still echoing inside his mind.

_Deepest Desire_

_Editor's note; NOT to be used lightly. Very hazardous._

_In the thirteenth year of the reign of King Artemis IVV, royal magician Uler invented a special spell, to punish a duke that had seduced Uler's sister. At first, the effects weren't noticeable, but then things began to go terribly for the duke. First, all of his family abandoned him, and his various assets lost their value. His home was burned to the ground, and the duke committed suicide by intentionally going to the Dog Kingdom._

_The following week, Uler presented his creation to King Artemis IVV, to punish the enemies of the crown. The spell, although hard to cast, renders the recipient of the spell unable, incapable, or just immune, to the thing they desire the most with every fiber of their being. With the duke, he loved his possessions, so he lost them one by one. When the spell was tested on a scholar, he lost all his knowledge, and couldn't gain any to replace it. He also committed suicide. _

_To cast Deepest Desire upon any individual is to sentence that person to a long and pitiful death as the will to live slowly leaves, if they don't kill themselves first within the first three months. There is no known cure._

Baron let the book fall onto the table in front of him.

"This is it," he whispered._ 'How could the king have done something so cruel to the one who not only saved his son, but his daughter-in-law?!' _He started pacing around the library.

Haru's deepest desire… was love. Many humans could happily spend their lives alone, but Haru didn't have the desire to become a hermitess. Wait; he cared about her, as Muta and Louise did, so how could the spell have worked?

'_She desires an intimate relationship with others of her own kind. Love, friendship, family… that is why she is half a step above being invisible. They know she's around, but it's not important to them. Oh, no… her boyfriend was going to propose, and she knew it. I never thought the king could be so cruel. There has to be a way to fix this. But what?!'_

He kept pacing the library as his anger continued to grow.

Haru deserved so much better than this terrible fate.

He looked up at the portrait the king ordered all the nobility to have displayed in their homes. A large gray longhair grinned leisurely, wearing the purple gem and golden armbands of his office. As an added touch, he was wearing a long purple robe with ermine trim. Baron had always thought that the picture made the king look tangled up in the cloth.

Very deliberately, he took down the enormous portrait, and threw it with all his might into the closest wall.

If the portrait had been made of glass, the mess would have been far more satisfying. Still furious, Baron walked over and picked up as many of the pieces as he could; stuffing them into the fancy fireplace. Once all the broken wood and bent parchment was inside, the tawny cat spoke a word of power; making a fireball grow in his hand, glowing green. It was nearly as hot as Baron's rage.

The aristocrat tossed the fire into the remains of the king's portrait, and solemnly watched the king's smug face dissolve into black ash.

"It is a king's duty to watch over his people, and sufficiently reward those that aid him. You have broken the trust of what was once a devoted subject, and is now your firm enemy. You have wronged Miss Haru on the worst possible level, and sentenced her to die young and alone. I don't care if it takes the rest of my life; I will save Miss Haru from the fate you have chosen for her, and will find or make a way to break your spell on her. This I vow; when she does die, it will be from old age, and she will be surrounded by people who know her and love her." Grabbing a knife, he made a cut on his palm. "This oath do I swear on my blood; Haru Yoshioka will find joy again, and will be truly happy." The blood threatening to spill onto the carpet fled back into the wound, to close over and make a black scar.

Hearing someone outside the curtain, Baron held his weapon ready. A white paw pulled the green curtain aside, bright blue eyes wide and worshipful; tearing slightly.

"Let me help you."


	6. Baron's Spell

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Chapter Six: Baron's Spell

Muta stretched, and walked into Haru's room. She was perfectly still; his first clue that she was already awake. He grinned and hopped onto the bed so that he could lick her cheek.

Then he saw the look in her eyes. He suppressed a groan.

'_Not again.' _He grinned at her. "Come on, Chicky; rise and shine."

"No thanks." Her eyes… Muta always hated that look, when her depression came back with a vengeance. He rubbed her face against his.

"Please, kid? For me?"

She grimaced, but rose slowly from her bed and pulled off the covers. Muta didn't have to worry about seeing more than what was good for him, since she always wore a long white flannel tunic-style shirt and matching pants to bed. But he left the room before he overstayed his welcome.

Some people may like their pets, but Haru needed Muta; a fact he was well-aware of. If he didn't remind her when to eat, she would have faded into nothing long ago. She also depended on his companionship for needed strength, and encouragement to make it past one more day, always one more day.

The large white cat waddled into the living room to wait for his mistress, and found that Baron had come back. And he had company. The fat feline growled.

"Remember what I said about telling anyone where Haru is?"

The orange and cream tomcat didn't look up from his labor of drawing a complex circle with different colored chalks, the bulk of which was carried by a pretty white cat. They had already rolled away the large carpet so that the magician could draw on the cold wooden floor.

"Louise wants to help Haru too, and I'm going to need all the help I can get. The king cast Deepest Desire on Miss Haru, if you've ever heard of it."

Muta's mouth dropped open. Everyone knew of the terrible curse's reputation. His eyes started glowing red.

"I'm gonna kill him. I'm going to make him feel all the pain Haru's feeling, and then some."

"You'll have to get in line. But first things first; breaking the spell on Miss Haru, before it's too late."

Muta walked closer, careful not to mess up the circle marks.

"I thought there wasn't a cure for Deepest Desire."

"I made one. It's theoretically sound, and who knows how much time Miss Haru has, before she loses all hope? Just out of curiosity; how did she survive this long?"

Muta shrugged.

"Finding loopholes. People aren't interested in Haru Yoshioka, but everyone loves her advice column, because they don't know who 'Aunt Caring' is. Plus, she found out that the spell only works on people she physically meets or talks to; people over the internet are immune to her curse. Good thing too; that column's becoming the only reason besides me she's willing to wake up anymore."

Baron smiled; glad that Haru had some fight still in her. The other victims must have just given up without _trying_ to find a loophole.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Haru didn't feel any better after her shower, although the mirror said that she looked much better. The slim brunette looked at her twin in the glass, and raised one hand to meet hers. Where she wanted to feel warm flesh, her fingers only met cool glass.

She sighed again as she exited her room and started down the stairs to fix Muta some breakfast. The young brunette was dressed in white once more, making her think that if anyone were to get interested enough to paint her, it would look like it had intentionally been done black and white.

'_The nightmares are getting meaner. That kiss felt __**real**__.' _She sighed, remembering that Machida had never grown a beard, or even a mustache. The young brunette walked past the living room without a glance, and tried to enter the kitchen.

"Hey, Chicky. Baron found something."

She turned to look at her pet, and the orange cat she had saved earlier. Her eyes widened a little, and she took a few steps forward to see what he was doing to her floor. A beautifully intricate circle had been drawn in varying colors, the thin lines looking something like vines. There were two openings in the circle that the vines wrapped around, completely opposite of each other. She looked at the little lord with surprise.

"What's this?"

He smiled warmly at her while giving the last chalk piece to a pretty white cat, and dusted his paws off.

"With a bit of luck, this is how we'll break the curse. Have you eaten anything today?"

"No."

"Good. No telling what could happen if you get queasy."

She gave a single giggle while looking at his companion.

'_She looks so much like Yuki.' _"Is this lovely lady your girlfriend?"

The white cat turned beet red while Baron gave a warm chuckle.

"Oh no, this is Louise; my maid and friend. She had offered her assistance on your behalf, and I wasn't about to turn her down."

Haru smiled apologetically and bowed to the ivory cat, who stood on her legs to bow back; still blushing heavily. The human grinned; knowing the classic signs of a crush.

"So, what's left to do?"

Baron gestured to the clear opening on her side of the circle as the two white cats hopped on the couch to keep out of the way.

"Please stand there, Haru."

She did so, while he hopped into the other opening. He stood on his hind legs as all the lines in the circle began to light up, racing outwards from his body and running like water to the human brunette. Haru watched in amazement as Baron's eyes went completely white, and his face twisted in extreme concentration. He began whispering softly, words that Haru couldn't quite understand, but liked the comforting feel to.

As the light reached the circle around Haru's feet, the orange cat's voice began to rise to a crescendo. With shock, the human watched more light, stringing up like the vine marks in the circle. They began trailing up her body, slightly tickling her as she became cocooned in the warmth. She sighed again, but the action had none of the sadness from before. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so secure.

Then, the light started pulling. She could feel the dark shadow the Cat King had put over her heart cling to it, like an octopus on his prey. The light kept pulling, but the shadow's grip was strong. Haru cried out from the pain, but she couldn't even fall to her knees.

Without warning, the light fled from Haru, and rushed back to Baron, who had long stopped chanting. He stared in shock as the vines encompassed him, even the light still in the circle flooding back into him.

And he started screaming.

The other two cats and Haru watched as Baron seemed to morph under the light. He started growing, at a rate that was alarming while his body shifted around to make longer limbs and a shorter torso. His tail slowly became shorter, and his fur began to retreat into his skin.

Noticing something that made her blush, Haru grabbed the blanket that was still on the couch and held it in front of her eyes as she slowly approached the light. She didn't have to worry about the circle, since the chalk marks had long faded away.

Baron collapsed on the cold wood floor, unconscious. The only part of him she allowed herself to see while slowly approaching him and wrapping the blanket around his comatose form was his face.

His _human _face.


	7. Changing Species

Extra

Chapter Seven: Changing Species

Haru eased a throw pillow underneath Baron's head, trying not to think about how nice his hair felt, brushing over her palm.

"Uh, Louise, I don't know much about magic, but I'm pretty sure this wasn't supposed to happen." She glanced at the petite cat, who was sitting on the other side of his face. The brunette had to feel for the cat, who was obviously having some issues with her crush turning into a member of a different species.

"You're right. Baron would never have intentionally made himself a human." She suddenly remembered who she was talking to. "Not that there's anything wrong with being a human-" she added hastily.

Haru raised one hand to halt her apology.

"I feel the same about changing into a cat." She sighed. "This should actually get fixed pretty quickly; just take him back to the kingdom when he wakes up."

Muta nodded his head angrily, noting how much care Haru was putting into caring for the ex-cat, bathing his forehead with cool water to combat the threatening fever.

'_If I had known that the spell would have made the caster a human, __**I'd**__ have insisted on doing it.' _Although the next thought was terrible, and he knew it, it made him smile. "He'll probably start ignoring you, Chicky; now that he's a human."

Haru saddened.

"More than likely." Not finding any other way to care for the ex-cat, she stood up and stretched her arms out. "Keep an eye on him while I make some breakfast?"

Louise nodded, and turned her face back to her master.

'_Why?! Why did you have to become a human?!' _ She couldn't judge human looks fairly well, but she was certain that he was now every bit as handsome as a human to Haru as he was to her as a cat. The blush on the brunette's face had only confirmed it.

'_Careful. She's been through a lot, the past six months. Show a little dignity; just because she's a human and he's now a human doesn't mean that anything's going to happen! That'd be like saying I'll fall for the fatso just because we're the same species.' _ The snow-white cat only had to look at Muta to feel better, almost enough to start laughing. He glared at her.

"Something funny?"

Louise shook her head, pressing one paw to her mouth to keep her mirth under control.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Baron shifted around in his sleep, taking a deep breath as he opened his eyes. Louise was looking down at him; her eyes full of relief.

"Thank heaven; I was starting to worry that you wouldn't wake up."

He smiled warmly at her, and rose to a sitting position, making the blanket fall down his front and rest in his lap. Suddenly he stiffened.

'_Where's my tail?' _He reached behind him with one paw to feel where it was supposed to be, and only felt smooth skin. _'Did someone shave me? I feel so cold.' _Even his paw felt funny. He looked at it, and began to understand. He had fingers. Experimentally, he opened and closed his hand, moving around his fingers in fascination. The black scar was still on his palm, his only clue that it truly was his body. How could he have not noticed how much smaller Louise was now, or why his hearing and smell were almost wiped out altogether? He felt his new face with his hands, wishing for a mirror so that he could see how he looked as a human.

Muta was grinning evilly at him, from his place on the old and worn couch.

"Hey, Chicky! The lord's awake."

Although Baron's sense of smell was severely impaired, compared to what he was used to, he could clearly smell that something was baking, and that whatever it was had to be tasty. Haru appeared from behind the wall, a plateful of strange flat cakes in her hands. She placed it on the table before turning to face him, smiling warmly.

"How do you feel, Baron?"

He stared, almost forgetting to breathe. It was strange; she looked exactly the same as she did when he was a cat, but when he was a human, there was something… _more_ to her. Something unseen, by the naked eye.

Haru blushed with surprise at his intent gaze, making him remember his manners. He looked down, noticing how smooth his chest was, without all the fur.

"Famished, actually."

She grinned, and picked up another plate to start loading the fluffy treats onto it.

"I hope you like pancakes. Muta; your plate's ready."

At the mention of food, the little butterball streaked to the kitchen, although sneaking another glare at the ex-cat for checking out _his _mistress like that.

'_Remember; she's __**my **__human!'_

The slim brunette walked into the living room, and sat on the couch close to where he was laying. She tried to pass him the plate, but then paused.

"Do you know how to use a knife and fork?"

He nodded, so she handed over the plate. Despite what the tawny man had said, his hands were clumsy on the utensils, being used to paws. Haru sighed.

"I think we can cheat, this one time." She took one of the pancakes, and rolled it up in a fashion similar to a cigar. And she bit off one end of the treat, certain that her friend could figure out how to do that much. Frustrated with the utensils, he followed her example, leaving a pancake for Louise. Baron looked at her again, entranced.

"Haru, I think the spell's broken. I can still really see you."

Haru's hands stiffened up, her heart too scared to make such a hope. She sighed.

"I guess there's one way to find out." She walked out of the living room, and into the kitchen. Baron could hear something mechanical clicking; probably a phone. Haru patiently waited until the other line picked up.

"Hi, Mom; it's Haru. Oh, did I? I'm sorry; it's been six months and… I see. Sorry for disturbing you." A click ended the call, and Baron didn't need to see the downtrodden look on her face when she came back into the living room, and collapsed on the couch.

The spell was still there. She looked at him with her dark eyes, making Baron's heart skip a beat. He couldn't remember the last time a girl had done that.

"This is weird. You shouldn't be caring if I exist or not. You're a human now."

Wondering something, he looked down at his hand and concentrated. A ball of green fire materialized; making Haru raise her eyebrows with interest. Baron tossed the ball from hand to hand, thinking hard. He sighed.

"The spell only changed my appearance. I'm still a cat inside, so I'm naturally immune to the king's curse. I don't understand; it should have worked flawlessly."

Louise patted his hand comfortingly.

"Don't worry Baron; a small trip back home should change you back to your true self."

'_Don't bang the door on your way out,' _Muta thought to himself as he licked up the last of the syrup before hopping onto the couch next to Haru. She reached over and started scratching his ear out of habit. But Baron shook his head firmly.

"I can't leave here, Louise. This reaction happened for a reason, and I'm going to find out what." He tried to stand up, but his balance was off.

This may have been due either to the fact that he had different body proportions than he had as a cat, or for the fact that Haru had suddenly pounced on him, keeping the blanket over his front. She blushed badly; trying to think of a way to put this delicately.

"Baron, if you're going to stay, there's a little thing you should think about. Humans don't have built-in clothes. You lost your fur when you changed."

Catching what she meant, and a nice draft from a window Muta had just opened, he turned around in order to wrap himself completely in the offered blanket.

"This is good for a little while, but I would feel a little silly about wearing a blanket until I successfully break your curse."

Haru nodded; a slight spark in her eyes.

"Follow me, Baron. I never got rid of my grandpa's clothes." Thank heaven she had washed them out of boredom last week, and that her grandfather had the same tall and lanky build Baron seemed to have.


	8. Temporary Accommodations

Extra

Chapter Eight: Temporary Accommodations

When Baron eventually came out of what he had assumed earlier was the guest bedroom, he was in light gray pants and a blood red button-up shirt. The buttons had given him a little trouble, but he thought that the exercise would be good for learning how to use his new fingers. He was having a little trouble with balance, now that his legs were too long to walk on all fours as he was used to, but he was catching the knack of it. He entered the living room again, to see that it was deserted. A tiny note was lying on the couch, making him walk over to read it. It was in cat.

_My lord-_

_I have gone to retrieve the volumes you requested, but I needed to steal Muta for muscle. I should be back soon._

_Louise_

He grinned; glad that she had given him a head's up. But where was Haru?

Puzzled, he started exploring the house. It was built similar to a tower, with a winding staircase that circled the floors as he trailed upwards. Spotting an end to the stairs, he came out to an amazing view. All the walls were made of glass, showcasing the coastline, ocean, and ideal little town. He watched the waves lap upon the distant shore; entranced.

"This was my favorite place, growing up."

Baron turned fast to see Haru. She was sitting behind a desk, in front of a computer. But he was the one she was concentrating on.

"Before the town got the new lighthouse, it was considered a privilege to live here, and keep the light on, always, in order to warn boats about the things they couldn't see at night. I always thought of Grandpa as a kind of night guard, protecting everyone like a saint, before this place got retired." She sighed, and started typing on her computer again. "So, what brings you up here?"

Feeling strangely shy, he walked up to the desk to look over her shoulder.

"Looking around, mostly." He read the computer screen.

_Dear Aunt Caring,_

_My boyfriend just died in a car crash. He didn't do anything wrong, but the drunk driver that hit him was. He's been sentenced for ten years, but nothing the justice system can do will bring back the man I love. Everyone says I should move on, but there are days when I just don't want to live. I read your column every week, and you always give good advice. Do you have any words to soothe a broken heart?_

_Lonely Lover_

Baron grimaced; wondering how Haru could help with a problem like that. He read her response to find out.

_Dear Lover,_

_Now is the time to draw your loved ones closer. Whenever you feel like you can't hold on anymore, think about all the good times you had with your boyfriend. Think about what he would say, if you tried to join him in death. If he was the man you described, I doubt he would want you to cut your life short just for him._

_Keep a journal. Write down all the bad times, good times, and silly times that you shared with this man, and include pictures if you can. Put it somewhere safe, where you can look at it when you wonder what life is for. _

_Your loved ones are correct that you need to keep living, but do it one day at a time. Make your life something that your special man can be proud of, when you eventually meet him again. Vengeance won't ease a broken heart, but good deeds will. Volunteer your time to a worthy cause, and make it a life mission to make someone else smile at least once a day. It's hard to stay depressed when you know someone else is happy, because of you._

_The hurt may never truly leave, but when you think of the man you love and feel peace, you will know all is well. _

_All my best wishes,_

_Aunt Caring_

Baron looked at the brunette admiringly.

"You put that very well."

She smiled up at him before sending the file off.

"Thank you. I had a bit of trouble writing it." She stretched a bit. "Did Muta and Louise return yet?"

"Afraid not. I requested many books."

She sighed and stood up.

"Would you like some lunch? I usually skip it, but…"

Baron was about to say no thanks, but then realized that she must usually eat whenever someone else did, namely Muta. He snuck a peak at her almost frighteningly slim frame and grinned.

"I would, actually. I'm still a bit uneasy about these strange things." He wiggled his fingers close to her face, getting her to laugh and bat them away playfully while leading the way down the stairs. He noticed that she held onto the banister the same way he did. Like letting go would lead to a speedy fall.

She came into the kitchen, and started sifting through the fridge. Baron watched her, leaning against the wall.

'_Why do I enjoy looking at her so much?'_ To distract himself from the fetching girl, he walked to the bookcase lining the wall between the kitchen and living room. A handful of the titles he recognized, thanks to his father's fascination with humans. But then he noticed a title that made his heart stop. Reaching up, he loosened not a book, but a movie, from the shelf. Even if he couldn't read human, he could never mistake the black and white picture across the cover.

"I haven't seen this movie in years," he whispered, making Haru walk over and look around his shoulder. She grinned.

"Grandpa was a huge fan of Douglas Fairbanks as Robin Hood. He was a man of high taste."

Baron nodded, remembering the slightly familiar green coat he had seen, while looking for something to wear. Was it possible? The man that had let him and his father watch a movie with him was Haru's grandfather?

"Can we watch this?" he asked softly, with all the eagerness of a little boy. The slim brunette beamed.

"Of course. Robin Hood rocks!"

The tall blonde cocked his head at her.

"Rocks?"

She blushed.

"I mean… I like that movie too. Grandpa got me hooked before I learned how to ride a bike."


	9. Planning

Extra

Chapter Nine: Planning

The movie was just as good as Baron remembered, although he now knew on a professional level that the swordplay wasn't realistic. But the story… He could happily lose himself within the story unfolding in front of him.

He nibbled on the tuna sandwich Haru had made for him, chuckling a little as Robin jumped onto the drawbridge, and climbed his way into the castle to save Maid Marian.

"This was the first movie I ever saw. I really loved how he could do all those stunts."

Haru giggled; a light blush present.

"Same here. Did you know that's really him doing that?"

He cocked his head at her.

"I wasn't aware that was an option."

She shrugged one shoulder, and swallowed her bite of tuna.

"Nowadays, people consider actors so valuable, that they have stunt doubles when there's any danger involved. Douglas Fairbanks was an acrobat, so he didn't see a reason why he couldn't do his own stunts. I always thought it was really classy, that he was willing to give it all for his art."

He looked at her again.

"How do you know all this?"

"I watch this movie with the documentary on. You'd be surprised at the kind of things you can find out." She turned her attention back to the screen, and reached for a second sandwich. Baron grinned, since she had originally made it for him. But that was okay, if she had a true appetite. As he watched the final battle, the tall blonde realized something.

His spell _had _worked perfectly. But the problem was that he had been expecting different results. Deepest Desire was a powerful spell; too powerful for just him to combat. It would have been smarter to gain the aid of more sorcerers; possibly all that could be found in the kingdom.

But he didn't. He had wanted to do it himself, to avoid the possibility that the king would find out where Haru was. So the spell settled for the next best thing; give Haru a human companion that wasn't truly a human. A living loophole. The brunette was certainly looking more cheerful than she had the day before, or even the night before. Just thinking about that sad encounter brought Haru's tears clearly into his mind, the naked longing clear on her sleeping face.

He smiled sadly at her while she was completely taken in the movie that they shared a love for.

'_All right, Haru. I'll be your human friend, if that's what you need. But I swear to you; the curse will be broken, whatever it takes.' _

Haru suddenly shot up in her seat; her eyes taking life again. A soft gasp came from her throat.

"Is something wrong, Haru?"

She looked at him as the screen faded to black in front of them. She slowly shook her head.

"No, but… I just thought of a loophole, if you can't break the spell."

Firmly, he gripped her shoulders, and locked eyes with her. The large brown orbs widened further, and became defenseless.

"I _will _break the spell on you, Haru. But hypothetically speaking, what loophole did you have in mind?"

She bit her lip, obviously wondering now whether she should say anything.

"Well, you said that the spell didn't work on you, because you're still a cat inside?"

He nodded.

"Well, I was kind of thinking that… maybe if I became a cat, it would be the same thing. I'd still be a human inside, but I could have cat friends instead."

He tightened his grip on her.

"But what about your mother? The man that wanted to marry you?"

He wished he hadn't said anything, almost before the words left his lips. Her eyes seemed to lose their spark, and the smile faded from her mouth.

"I'm as good as dead to both of them anyway. Mom's doing just fine without me, and Machida… he… he's a good guy. He's probably seeing someone else by now anyway. Even if the spell was broken, I don't think I could learn to trust him again. Too many nightmares, about that day."

Baron sighed, and released his grip on her. Haru stood up from her seat, and took the dirty dishes.

"The main reason I didn't let the king turn me into a cat was because he tried to force it on me. But if it were my choice and no one else's… being a cat probably wouldn't be so bad. Did you enjoy it?"

He blinked.

"Of course. The Cat Kingdom is a beautiful place to grow up in. But…" Why wouldn't the words come to him? Haru was a human, and as such belonged in the Human Kingdom, just like he belonged in the Cat Kingdom for being a cat. But she had a point; it wasn't like anyone here deserved her anyway. She smiled warmly at him, and put one hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"Thank you so much, Baron. You've already given me more than I thought I could hope for again."

Before she moved away, he covered her hand with his.

"Haru… why did you save me? I've heard about your connections with the prince and princess, but with this terrible curse, why help another cat?"

She opened her mouth, and then hesitated.

"Several reasons. Why punish you for what the king did? And… part of me was hoping not to get out of the river." She shrugged again and moved away. "Besides, with the king's punishment, what could you have thrown at me? More cattails? Blow up my home?"

"Don't even joke about that, Haru. The Cat King's very fond of blowing up towers. There's something else to think about; if you did move to the Cat Kingdom, the king would find out eventually."

The slim brunette grimaced.

"I guess you're right. Oh well; _I _thought it was a good idea." Depositing the dishes in the sink, she grinned at him while pulling another movie from the bookshelf. "Have you ever seen the version with Errol Flynn? He's not as acrobatic, but the swordplay's more believable."

Before Baron could answer her, a small periwinkle portal opened into the living room. Muta and Louise struggled through the opening and dumped their bounty on the floor, panting heavily.

"My lord… the books," Louise gasped. Baron smiled warmly, and picked her up to stroke her fur in gratitude. She purred contentedly while Muta waddled over to Haru, who leaned down to scratch his ear. The fat feline understood; she was so thin, his weight might break her, if she tried to pick him up.

"That was very kind of you, Muta, to help her with the books."

The fat cat shrugged, but couldn't disguise the smile on his lips from the warm praise.

"No prob, Chicky."

Still stroking Louise, the ex-cat leaned down to pick up a book; disturbed by how small it was. The print was just barely legible. He sighed.

"I'll have to put a rain check on Errol Flynn. Finding and making another spell is going to prove a bit tricky to pull off."


	10. The Shopping Expedition

Extra

Chapter Ten: The Shopping Expedition

For the first time in nine months, Haru slept peacefully the entire night. She actually smiled as she rose from her bed, and stretched happily. Her heart, which had been starting to slow down, was once again beating a regular pace in her chest. She even found the courage to reach for blue jeans and a tie-dyed t-shirt, when she had worn nothing but white since becoming cursed.

It was Baron's doing. Sure, she knew a cat was underneath that gorgeous face, but the little friendly gestures he gave her were appreciated completely. His manners were still that of a feline, but she didn't care anymore about the little technicalities. Whistling, she nearly skipped out the front door.

"And where do you think _you're _going?"

She wheeled around to see her housemate, who was pulling on a green coat over his cream-colored button-up shirt. His dark gray pants had a crisp ironed look to them, and his shoes were a little shinier than they had been when Haru had done them, before Baron entered her life. The tawny-haired man seemed to take great pride in her grandfather's wardrobe, and it thrilled her to no end to see the familiar clothes in use again. The brunette grinned at him.

"Grocery shopping." Hating her trips into town, she tried to buy as much as she could in bulk, so that she would take fewer trips. The brown-eyed girl actually had, at one point, an impressive food storage, but feeding two more mouths was draining it fast. Baron grinned back at her and opened the door so she could walk through.

"Care for a little company?"

Haru thought about it. Smiling, she walked through the door and took the offered arm as her friend shut the door behind them.

"Sure. But remember, you volunteered."

He smiled back at her, his green eyes twinkling happily. She loved his eyes, but wasn't about to tell him about the little fact.

"I do realize that I'll be helping with carrying the purchases, if that's what you mean."

Behind them, through separate windows, two cats were watching them leave. Louise's heart quivered; praying that Baron was only being a gentleman. Even if it was _the _Haru Yoshioka, and she desperately needed him the way he currently was, the maid was praying that it was only friendship the two humans felt.

'_This isn't fair. I've loved Baron for __**years**__! What's wrong with __**me**__? Why doesn't he look at me the way he looks at Haru?'_

Muta turned away from his hiding place, trying to silence the pain in his heart.

He hated Baron. He hated the fancy hat-tipper that was stealing _his _Haru, despite his promise that he wouldn't. But… Haru had been getting so much better, since the feline lord moved in with them. She smiled without provocation, naps were a thing of the past, and there were no more nightmares.

The enormous feline knew he should be thankful to the man, for bringing so much health and joy to his mistress, but Muta's secret wish was that _he _had been the one that changed into a human for Haru. He could have made her just as happy, if not more so, than Baron was making her.

This just isn't fair… he loved her so much, it hurt.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The tall blonde kept behind the petite brunette, pushing the cart behind her as she slowly loaded it with various food products.

"Which sounds better, Baron; skim or 2?" She pointed at the milks neatly lined up behind the glass doors. Her companion laughed a little nervously.

"Whatever happened to regular milk?"

She shrugged, smiling widely.

"No clue." Deciding on her own, she carefully loaded a few 2 gallons into the cart. While the brunette was still bent over from placing the milk in the under part of the cart, Baron heard a polite coughing from behind him. Puzzled, he turned to see a fairly young girl, her apron and nametag saying that she worked for the store. 'Aya' smiled a little nervously.

"Are you finding everything all right, sir?"

Baron smiled and nodded.

"Haru knows what we're after, but thank you for asking."

The girl blinked, and looked around, confused. Haru straightened up, and smiled at her companion.

"Come on; bread's next, now that we have the heavy stuff."

Baron watched as the store girl looked at his landlady. Her eyes went dim, and faded.

"Oh." She looked back at Baron, and immediately smiled again. "Feel free to call for help, if you need it." A light blush colored her pale cheeks. He nodded again and followed Haru as she moved down the aisles. He knew of the curse, of course, but it disturbed him, actually seeing it in motion.

It was only the beginning. Three more store girls approached him, to make sure that he was getting everything he needed. He thanked them politely, and watched their eyes glaze over when he gestured to Haru.

But what disturbed him the most was what his ear picked up, which were still strangely sharper than Haru's. The voice was distant, a few aisles away; easily one of the girls that had approached him.

"Honestly. How did a boring girl like that wisp get a hunk like _him_?"

He blushed, immediately realizing who and what she meant. Haru turned to him, her eyes filled with concern as she loaded the last of the sugar she wanted.

"Is something wrong?"

He shook his head sharply; not wishing to repeat the girl's words. He laughed a little nervously.

"It's just a little strange to me, to see people ignore you like that."

Her eyes saddened slightly, and a familiar sigh escaped her lips as she led him to the checkout counter.

"I know it's not their fault. I don't hold it against them." She looked at his face again, and smiled warmly before loading her purchases onto the conveyer belt. The cashier looked up from her magazine, surprised that she had a customer. She quickly hid the contraband and started her work. Loading the last of the purchases into the bag, she looked up, and blushed at seeing Baron, despite the fact that she was middle-aged. She smiled a little flirtatiously.

"That will be 105.45, sir."

Getting a little annoyed, since Haru was right in front of the cashier and writing a check, he stiffly smiled.

"Haru's getting it for you."

The woman blinked in surprise as the petite woman held out the written check. She took the paper, barely a glance at the brunette.

"Oh, you again." She ran the check through her machine, and handed the girl her receipt. Haru nodded in thanks, but the woman was already lost in her magazine again. Baron grabbed a majority of the large bags, noting that the cashier was watching him, and not the magazine.

"Come back soon, sir."

Once outside the store and down the street, Baron let out his suppressed growls, making the brunette at his side laugh a bit.

"I think I'll start taking you with me whenever I have to go there. I haven't had such good service since getting cursed."

He stared at her, wondering what she was talking about.

"Haru, they completely ignored you. If I hadn't been with you, you could have walked out of the store without paying, and they wouldn't have given a single care."

"True. You should see how hard it is, when I don't have a hot companion to attract their service. I usually have to yell at the top of my lungs, to get that cashier to realize a customer is around."

Baron stared at her, and quietly vowed to attack his books again with the magnifying glass Haru had just bought for him so he could read the tiny script.

'_If that terrible service can make her so happy, then who knows what other lousy things she puts up with without complaint?' _Suddenly, his mind was on a completely different track than the curse.

'_Did she just call me hot?'_


	11. A Royal Announcement

Extra

Chapter Eleven: A Royal Announcement

Prince Lune looked over his personal mail, silently wishing that his father wasn't so fond of banquets. He hadn't been in a partying mood since he got married, and the young prince thought that the occasion called for something a little less flamboyant than the baby shower his father was planning.

White arms wrapped around his neck from behind, and a familiar tongue caressed his cheek. He smiled, and turned his head enough to kiss his wife fondly.

"Good news, love. Nearly everyone invited said yes to attending the celebration banquet." He lovingly caressed her swollen belly; his excitement beginning to grow again. Yuki smiled, but then paused.

"Who said no?"

Lune sighed.

"Who else? You know that the Baron von Gikkingen hasn't left his home in nearly six months. Louise stopped by with his reply, and he says congratulations." He gestured to the parcel that had been with the denial. "I thought you would like to open that. No one needs to know that you had one early."

Like an eager child, Yuki attacked the box, ripping off the brown paper with glee. The box free from the paper, she opened the box. Her eyes widened.

"_Oh_." She set the box down on the table, and lifted the object out of the tissue paper. Lune's eyes widened.

It was a mobile, the kind one usually placed over a bassinet. Pastel-colored fish dangled from transparent fish lines, which were attached to wooden sticks that freely allowed the fish to move around. Noting the varying bells, one attached to each little fish, Lune softly swiped at the mobile. The fish started to seemingly swim through the air in a circle; the bells creating an enchanting lullaby. Yuki started crying.

"Baron outdid himself this time! It's wonderful!" Grabbing a light blue fish, Yuki held it to her cheek, bringing the lullaby to a sudden halt. The Cat Princess closed her eyes, and rubbed the fabric toy to her cheek.

Slowly, her eyes widened, and her nose started twitching. Moving the little fish to her nostrils, she took in the scent deeply. Her eyes started tearing.

"Impossible," she whispered. Her husband cocked his head at her. Yuki gently pressed the plush-like toy to his nose, her eyes begging.

"Doesn't this smell familiar?"

Wondering what was disturbing her so much, Lune inhaled the scent deeply. Yes, it was familiar, but it was definitely not the scent of the good baron. He inhaled again.

_A bright summer day…_

_A little yellow box…_

_A truck…_

_A lacrosse stick…_

_A human…_

Lune's eyes shot open. But he didn't dare say the name aloud, with spies everywhere.

"How could…" he wanted to say more, but knew better then to vocally say what he was feeling. Yuki touched his cheek softly; tears freely running down her face.

"It's only five more days until the year's up. Please, ask your father what happened. She should be here, for this." The Cat Princess rubbed her large belly. "It's her fault it happened, after all."

Lune straightened, determined to appease his wife.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The crown prince stood outside of his father's personal study, mentally preparing himself for a confrontation with his father. He coughed loudly, making Natoru poke his head out of the deep red curtain. He grinned nasally.

"Your majesty; the crown prince is here."

A rusty purr worked its way into Prince Lune's ear.

"Come in, son."

Straightening, the dark gray cat walked through the curtain that the brown-spotted cat held open for him. The king was lounging in his lawn chair, completely missing the fact that lawn chairs were meant for outdoor use. The old longhair grinned at his heir.

"Everything going to plan, my boy?"

Lune nodded.

"The celebration will truly be one to remember, thanks to you, Father."

The light gray cat purred at the praise.

"But…" Lune didn't want to see how his father would react to what he was about to ask. His father looked at him, a slight trace of annoyance present.

"But what?"

His son took a deep breath.

"My wife is unhappy. She wants someone to be at the celebration, but she doesn't know how to contact her."

The king waved one paw.

"We can fix that. Who's the elusive guest?"

Lune bit his lower lip.

"I would love to speak her name, Father, but you have ordered for _that_ name not to be spoken for five more days."

The king's bright eyes, that had been so full of joy, darkened at an instant. He started growling menacingly.

"Tell Yuki that the one she wants can't be reached."

Lune bit his lip again.

"Please, Father; Yuki wishes to name her the godmother."

The longhair chuckled darkly.

"That won't be possible. Like I said; she can't be reached, and she's in no position to be a godmother for anyone. That is all."

Lune tried to restate his case, but Natori raised one paw to the prince's chest, and shook his head firmly. Growling, the crown prince left his father's office, and stormed into the chambers he shared with his wife.

Yuki was rocking patiently in the chair that had recently been made for her. She looked up as her husband threw the curtain. He growled as he took the seat opposite of her, and glared into the decorational fireplace.

"He still won't tell."

Yuki saddened a little, but then struggled to rise out of her seat. Her husband immediately got out of his seat in order to help her. Once she was up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him sweetly. Never being able to resist her kisses, he returned her passion.

The Cat Princess laid her head on his shoulder, panting slightly.

"You know, love; I really do adore the gift that the baron sent us. Such a wonderful present deserves a thank you note, wouldn't you say?"

Lune nearly asked her why she was talking about a thank you note before the actual celebration, but noticed how intently she was looking into his eyes. Grinning, he kissed her back.

"I think you're completely right."


	12. A New Discovery

Extra

Chapter Twelve: A New Discovery

"All right, Haru; are you ready?"

She grinned at him, trying not to think about how cold the special paint was, that Baron had written across her forehead and arms.

"Sure, why not?"

The tawny-haired man smiled back at her, and started chanting. At first nothing was noticeable, but then the writing started to glow. Haru winced as the ink rapidly rose in temperature, and then began to burn her. Just before she was going to scream, the ink sank its way through her skin, and began to flow through her body. Then it all rushed to her brain.

Haru's entire life flashed before her eyes. Kindergarten, her father's funeral, and her mom's honor ceremony for her quilting guild, Lune's rescue, and the night her life went down the drain.

Before she knew it, she was lying on her back, slowly regaining consciousness. For some reason, she was now on the couch, and Baron was leaning over her; his eyes full of concern as he took a damp cloth to her forehead. The brunette just prayed that he couldn't hear how loud her heart was beating.

"If you did anything to Chicky-" Muta started threatening.

"No, Muta. I'm good." Despite Haru's promise, she winced as she rose to a sitting position, Baron wrapping one arm around her to steady her quaking frame. She started breathing heavily.

"I need to talk to Lune."

Her friend smiled comfortingly and brushed a dark lock from her face.

"That's wonderful. Louise returned half an hour ago, with a letter from them."

She winced and held her head between her hands. Where did this monster headache come from?

"How long was I out?"

"Only three hours this time. Why do you need to talk to Lune?"

She took a moment to steady her breath, and accept the tall glass of water the ex-cat offered her. She drank the entire thing in one gulp.

"You didn't break the curse, but… I know how to, now."

Baron's eyes glowed with pleasure.

"What is it?"

The slim brunette hesitated.

"It's… drastic. I want Lune's opinion, before we try it."

He saddened a bit, but straightened. He looked over at his maid, who Haru suddenly noticed was sitting almost at her feet. Louise's face… it was so sad, and defeated. She sighed and straightened.

"I'll find a way to tell the prince and bring him here without drawing attention." Making the usual portal, she jumped through it eagerly, like she couldn't wait to get away. With a shudder, Haru suddenly remembered the looks she used to send Baron, when he was still a cat. Her heart cried out, still remembering what it felt like, to be invisible.

'_Poor Louise.'_

Baron pulled a letter out of his breast pocket, and unfolded it.

"Under ordinary circumstances, I would just give this to you, but I know for a fact that you can't read cat. _Dear Baron, my wife and I just adore the gift that you sent. My little Yuki isn't letting the thing out of her sight. We are particularly fond of the scent that clings to the gift, as it has very precious memories for us._

"_We know for a fact that you are personally able to contact the one the scent belongs to, since no one else could hope to duplicate it. Father still refuses to talk about her, but… Yuki really wants to see her again, as do I. We miss her terribly, and we're worried by the ominous remarks that Father's been saying, whenever someone hints of her. If you could arrange a meeting between us and her, by any means possible, we would really appreciate it. Father doesn't need to know about it and she should be here for this, as it is due to her that it happened. Kindest regards, Prince Lune._"

Haru grinned as her fat cat hopped onto the seat next to her, and she started petting him warmly.

"I figured they'd recognize my scent."

Baron sighed again.

"I still feel nervous. If the king should smell the mobile, it wouldn't take much for him to connect the dots."

"Don't worry, Baron; Lune even said that Yuki won't let the thing out of her sight." She stretched again, and tried to rise from the couch. Baron stopped her, his firm hand gently easing her back into the couch. He smiled warmly at her again.

"I'll make dinner tonight. It's my turn anyway."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

When Baron took the freshly baked lasagna out of the oven, the familiar blue light lit up the lighthouse (pardon the pun). The tall human carefully placed the hot pan on top of the oven so that he could sneak a peek at what was happening on the other side of the wall.

Muta had been knocked off of his seat next to Haru, who was being attacked by two cats, as different as day and night. All three were laughing happily. The human girl rubbed Yuki's swollen belly softly.

"I was so thrilled, when Baron said that you were expecting kittens. Motherhood suits you."

Yuki nodded happily through her tears as she licked her rescuer's cheek one more time.

"The way the king was talking, I was starting to think that you were dead."

Haru smiled mischievously while hugging the crown prince.

"That's because he thinks I am. He's too arrogant to check if his spell ever finished me off."

Lune blinked, and cocked his head at her.

"What do you mean? What was the spell?"

"Deepest Desire," Baron said, stepping into the room. The two new cats looked over at him, and their jaws dropped. Figuring that they knew who he was, Baron nodded at them warmly, although his eyes were still grim.

"The king cast Deepest Desire on Haru, to punish her for turning him down. She was holding up fine before I took this shape, but I think I can safely say that being a living loophole has helped her significantly."

Haru nodded; affection for him clear in her gaze. Very gently, she turned Lune's face toward her so that they could lock eyes.

"Baron's been trying to break the spell on me for the past six months. He's helped wonderfully, but the spell's still in me. Today, he managed to get me to realize how to break the spell."

Yuki put her paws over Haru's slim hand.

"What is it, Haru? Is it anything we can help with?"

The slim brunette nodded, still looking at Lune. She had known better than to tell Baron or Muta what could break the spell, because they would have doubtlessly have been halfway to the Cat King with a blunt or sharp object before she finished her sentence.

"The spell always ends, from what Baron's told me of past cases. But it always ends with death. In order to break the curse, either the one who used the spell or the one that got it must die. You're the next ruler, so I think you should have a say. Which would you rather have die; me or your father?"

ooOoo

Do you love stories and expressing your opinion? Can you pick out grammar errors and plot holes like no one's business? Do you go crazy with highlights? Are you a wild Cat Returns fan?

Three is the magic number, so I'm currently looking for a third beta that can look over my stories and have them back in a week, two weeks tops. If you're interested, please let me know.

(I don't know if doing this on a story is allowed, but unless someone tells me that it isn't, this is how I'm going to do things.)

Hoping to hear from you,

YarningChick


	13. Spell's End

Extra

Chapter Thirteen: Spell's End

The king grinned leisurely as he placed his freshly-polished crown on his brow. Today would be a day to remember. He had been longing for a lapful of kittens since Lune became too big to feel comfortable about sitting on his father's lap in public. Although the bride his son had chosen wasn't the one he would have originally gone for, he had to admit that the girl was a looker, and she was fulfilling her duty to continue the royal line wonderfully. The kittens were due any day now.

Who knows? Perhaps he would be a grandfather today.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The Cat King sat back in his seat and watched the line of nobles and royals approach the prince and princess with their gifts. The table behind the couple soon became overflowed with stuffed toys, darling little outfits and blankets and various other knickknacks. As he had been properly brought up to do; Lune smiled warmly and thanked each cat for the beautiful gift, while other servants tried to find a place to put the last gifts.

Finally, the very last gift was presented. The king could see Natori scrunch up his face a bit, as if he recognized the cat holding the fairly large yellow box. The enormous cream cat with a brown spot on one ear bowed politely.

"The Baron von Gikkingen sends his apologies for not coming, but bid me to present this gift to you on his behalf." He pulled a face, like he wasn't used to using such fancy language. Lune held his paws out for the gift, but the cat strangely moved to the center of the large banquet hall, and set the box directly in the center, and pulled on one end of the red ribbon holding the box closed. He hurriedly backed away as the box opened by itself, and light began flowing from it like a fountain.

The guards tightened their circle around the royal family, but relaxed as the colors in the fountain began separating into form a solid picture. In soft tones, the baron's familiar voice began to echo through the celebration, everyone stopping what they were doing in order to watch the picture.

"_Once upon a time, in a land far from our own, there lived a fair young maiden."_

The picture sharply came together to make a lovely brown cat, who was completely one shade of chocolate, as were her amazing eyes. She had a happy smile on her face, and she appeared to be feeding a hungry kitten, although she was hardly older than the dirty white cat.

Yuki's breath caught in her throat, recognizing the strange scene.

"_Now, in this land, there were many fair maidens, but this one was special. She had a very caring heart, and would sooner kill herself than deny a request for help. Once, when she was fully grown, she even saved a prince from facing a terrible death. To repay the maiden for her heroic deed, the prince's father, the king of another land, showered her with gifts to express his appreciation."_

The Cat King watched as the strange movie played out, his heart beginning to freeze up with fear as the brown cat became buried under packaged mice and lacrosse sticks. This was hitting a little too close to home.

'_But such was the beauty of the fair maiden's heart, that she wished for no reward, even though accepting all of the gifts would have made her a princess, for the king wished her to marry his son; the same one she saved. But the young prince had another love, and he made his feelings clear before any action could be taken with his rescuer. Certain that the only way that the king could properly thank the fair maiden was to make her part of the royal family, he asked her to marry himself in place of his son."_

A greasy longhair with an overdone golden crown started hitting on the lovely brown cat, who was pointedly turning away from him; her eyes locked on a black cat, who was looking back at her with so much love.

"_But the prince wasn't the only one with a sweetheart, and the fair maiden wasn't about to give up the one who had won her heart, and was going to ask to marry her soon. She was firm in turning down the king, sending many of his soldiers home in pieces in her insistence that she would not become a royal and give up the man she loved so much."_

Many of the guards in the throne room started quaking and holding their various body parts as the brown cat high above the box pulled a standard karate stance, and proceeded to take down any and all cats that tried to approach her, a slightly naughty grin on her face while the king in the corner watched her; his mouth agape with shock.

The king behind the royal table sprang from his seat, knowing what the box was about to reveal. He tried closing up the top, but it was immovable. He tried stomping on the box to get it to stop talking, but the only difference it made in the images was that the brown cat had changed into a human that everyone knew, although only a fraction had ever seen her. She dusted off her hands as the last of the henchmen fled from her, and politely bowed to the king, who was still a cat. His face started changing into red while the real king kept trying to silence the box, much to the puzzlement of everyone, since the events had happened a year ago that very day.

"_The king was displeased that the fair maiden would rather spend her days with a commoner than with a king, and decided to punish her for her insolence. Reasoning that since she had denied him what he wanted, he should do the same for her. He cast Deepest Desire on the girl, who didn't realize at the time what the spell meant. She soon found out."_

Everyone in the room gasped, making the king double his attack on the box.

"Don't listen to this stupid thing! It's feeding lies to all of you, to turn everyone against me!"

The girl on the screen approached the black cat again, but he was now a human like her. She reached out to embrace him, but he stepped away from her, his eyes now bearing none of the warmth that they had earlier. Confused, the girl kept trying to touch him, but the man turned his back on her, and walked away. Horror began to dawn on her fair features. The movie showed several humans pass by the girl, not a single one even looking at her, although she was intentionally bumping into people and silently shrieking at the top of her lungs, since the movie was apparently a silent one. Even a human that resembled the girl, more than likely a close relative, turned away when the brunette reached out.

"_Thus began her personal torture. Having always craved love from her fellow humans, the spell now denied other homo sapiens from even caring that the fair maiden existed. Where she once had more friends than she could hope to count, she was now alone, in the worst possible sense. In anguish, she locked herself away in a tower, so as not to be reminded as much of the terrible curse that hung over her head. She found small loopholes in the curse, and her iron will to never allow the king to conquer her strong spirit lengthened her life by twice that any other victim had lived through Deepest Desire."_

Nearly everyone in the room was touched, watching the girl go through these actions, even as she lost weight, color in her cheeks and clothes, and the wonderful sparkle in her eyes. When she wept with her broken heart, all the cats did the same while the king kept trying to silence the box.

"_Once again proving how beautiful her soul was, the fair maiden came to the rescue of another noble, when he faced a watery grave."_

Everyone now recognized Baron, as Haru rose from the swollen river, her eyes sparking slightly with triumph and hugging her comatose treasure close.

"_Unlike the last cat, the good baron found out what she needed, more than anything else that he could give her in return for her brave deed, which was for the curse on her to break, before her wonderful soul did, and she lost the will to live. He resolved to find a cure for her, or to die trying, for the king had broken his trust beyond repair for his vile treatment of the maiden. For six more months, the good baron struggled to find a way to save this wonderful young lady, who was still as sweet as she ever was, even though death loomed over her like a terrible shadow. Finally, after many tries and failures, a cure was found, although the wonderful woman was hesitant to take that step."_

The king froze; wondering what the cure could be, to make her hesitate after everything she had lived through. The king appeared again in the movie, and a dark shadow stood between him and the brunette. Like a reaper, the shadow moved a scythe slowly like a pendulum from the human to the cat, and back again.

"_Deepest Desire will always end in death; that is the purpose it was designed for. But what hadn't been known until now was that if the castor of the spell died before the victim did, the curse would end. The reason no one had figured this out before was because the victims of the terrible curse always died too quickly for this to be discovered. Not wishing to leave the distant kingdom in chaos, the fair maiden contacted the prince she had saved a year before, and told him to choose between her and his father, for it was his duty to rule the kingdom after the eventual demise of his father."_

The Cat King froze in horror; realizing how everyone was looking at him. He had never known such raw hatred; even present in his son's and daughter in law's eyes. No wonder the two hadn't really spoken to him in several days. Slowly, Lune raised a long dagger from underneath the chair he was seated in.

"_Disgusted by his father's terrible treatment of the girl that had done nothing but good all of her days, the prince would have loved to pronounce his so-called 'father's' sentence, but deemed such a drastic measure a call needed to be made by all the subjects in his kingdom, for he knew if he just took care of things himself, and avenged his dear friend of the terrible wrong that had been done to her, there would be some that would think his actions too harsh. _

"_Now is the time to choose, citizens of the Cat Kingdom; which of these two individuals should live? The kind girl that always thought of others, even when her own problems were overwhelming and had long killed others in her place, or the ungrateful king that tried to hide his actions from everyone, knowing they were unjust?"_

The king tried to run for his bodyguards. They took a good grip on him, but then turned to the guests so that he couldn't escape; unfathomable loathing in their eyes as everyone began approaching the king with whatever sharp and blunt objects they could get their paws on.

"_One thing's for certain; if __**I **__were in your place, the king would already be dead."_

The cats in the banquet hall spent the next few hours making their selfish king into the state the good Baron von Gikkingen had suggested, as his screams echoed throughout the kingdom. Unknown to the ones in the banquet hall, the story that the box had been heard by everyone in the Cat Kingdom. So the ones that couldn't crowd into the banquet hall settled for listening to the king's screams of pain. Muta smiled evilly after three hours, and left the banquet hall in order to return home.

'_Renaldo Moon strikes again. And no one even knew it.'_


	14. Baron's Love

Extra

Chapter Fourteen: Baron's Love

Baron turned once again to Haru; deep concern in his eyes.

"Anything yet?"

She giggled; thinking that he sounded like an overeager father to be.

"The shadow's loosening its hold, but apparently Lune's subjects are taking their sweet time with his father. I've waited an entire year; I can wait one more day." She was so glad that she hadn't told Baron what the cure was, the first time he had asked her. _This_ death for the terrible monarch was a bit more fitting than having Baron storm the castle with only a sword.

Still feeling protective of the girl, he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him on the couch, watching King Richard order Robin Hood to marry his lady love, after rewarding him with an earldom. Haru leaned into his chest comfortably, and wrapped her arms around his neck before squeezing.

"May I obey all of your commands with equal pleasure, Sire!" Robin called out before leaving Nottingham Castle with Maid Marian. Haru laughed.

"I always loved that line. Well, what did you think of Errol Flynn?"

Baron smiled warmly, and hugged her again.

"It's good, but I think I'm still partial to Douglas Fairbanks for sentimental reasons." He stretched his body out, like he was still a cat, making the girl on his lap giggle again. "Care to join me for a walk, Haru?"

She shrugged, and then nodded before getting off of his lap. She reached for her long coat next to the door, but Baron grabbed it first, and held it open for her like the gentleman he was. Haru smiled warmly at him while slipping the coat on, and waiting for him to put on the thick green one; a favorite of hers and evidently of his as well. He held the door open for her, and offered his arm so they could walk down the beach.

It was an early spring day, one that still had the slight bite of winter. But Haru didn't mind at all; it had been a while since she had a nice warm companion to hold onto. Suddenly, Baron stopped walking, making her do the same.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, but… would you care to dance?"

She blinked.

"What, right now?"

He nodded, adjusting his hold on her.

"Uh, Baron, I'm a terrible dancer."

He gave her a warm smile, and starting circling her.

"Just trust me." He started humming a soft tune, and kept the pace regular. Haru did her best to follow Baron's lead, slowly improving underneath her companion's guidance. When he felt confident that she could handle it, he began doing fancier moves, like leading her through a dip and twirling her around like she was a ballerina. A look of awe overcame her fair features, making him smile with pleasure.

Without warning, Haru jumped up in order to hug his neck. Baron blushed, and prayed that she couldn't feel how hard his heart was pounding. But since she was the one hugging him, he didn't see a reason to wrap his arms around her and squeeze back.

"_Thank you_," she whispered, fighting back tears. "I never would have been able to make it without you."

He smiled warmly, and tightened his hold.

"Looks like we're even then. You saved my life, and I saved yours."

Haru shook her head into his neck, which was becoming moist with her tears.

"You gave me _hope_. I'm the one in your debt now. I have no clue on how I could ever fully repay you, for everything you've done for me."

Baron swallowed, hoping that she wouldn't notice how hard the action was for him.

"There's nothing I need, but… there **is** something I would gladly trade my soul for."

The brunette's matching eyes widened.

"Is it something I can give you?"

He nodded, and took a deep breath for courage.

"When I first became a human, there wasn't much doubt in my mind that I would return to being a cat after I helped you. But… the past six months have been the happiest of my life. The Cat Kingdom's a wonderful place, but I like being a human better. _Your _human, to be more precise." He released her, and got down on one knee. Haru's eyes widened further, as his large warm hands held hers, so _gently_.

"I'm trying to say that I love you, and I want to marry you."

Her breath caught in her throat, and her heart started racing. Baron smiled warmly at her again, and kissed her hand tenderly.

"I _am_ a lord in the Cat Kingdom, but you've sacrificed enough for several lifetimes, and I don't want you to give up more on my account. It wouldn't take much for me to get fake identification, and I could find a job, if I looked hard enough." His eyes became pleading. "I know you still think of Machida, and I will always respect that. All I ask is that you let me love you for the rest of our days. You don't have to answer me right now, if you'd like time to think about it."

Haru started crying again. But unlike the last few times Baron had seen her do it, she was smiling now, and her eyes sparkled magically with renewed life. She also got down on her knees so she could press her lips against his. The great baron von Gikkingen, who had long been known as a cat that could face down monsters without breaking a sweat, melted like a snowflake under the touch of the girl he had given his heart to. Her tears caressed his face as he enthusiastically returned the loving gesture, deciding that these tears were all right. She would never cry from sorrow again, if he had any say in the matter. Her lips reluctantly pulled away from his, and smiled.

"Thank you for both of your offers, but I think I'll just take the first one. I'd love to marry you, Baron."

It was then, when she realized. Today was Valentine's Day.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Watching Baron's handsome face glow in a way she had never seen before, Louise sadly looked on as her lord rose from his feet, and picked up the petite brunette to start swinging her around, both laughing happily.

That was the final straw; how the elegant white cat knew she had lost the battle. Yes, she could have made Baron happy, but the one that could make him happiest was Haru, the girl that the young maid had held in the highest regard, ever since the first time she had heard of the human's deeds. If anyone deserved a wonderful man like the great Baron Humbert von Gikkingen, wasn't that girl Haru? She had already gone through so much…

Louise sighed, and got down from her post in Haru's office, at the top of the lighthouse. With a heavy heart, she started going down the spiraling staircase, only to collide into Muta, who was going up the stairs at breakneck speed. The fat cat screeched to a halt in order to help her up again.

"Sorry about that, Louise; I just really want to talk to Haru."

"You'll have to get in line," she said softly, licking one arm to help soothe her. "Baron's with her."

A look of anguish came over the white cat, and he sighed sadly.

"He asked for my permission to marry Haru, since I'm the closest thing she has to an actual relative. I said yes, but only if he made her smile five times for every tear the so-called king made her cry." He too, had realized that he couldn't deny the one he loved anything she wanted, even if it placed him further out of the picture. Louise sighed, walking down the stairs again with the enormous cat at her side.

"They make a good couple. They'll be happy together."

Muta nodded glumly.

"Are you holding up any better than me?"

She looked at him, confused. He rolled his eyes.

"Come on; the only one that couldn't see that you loved Baron was Baron. Haru's been restraining herself around him, since she didn't want to hurt you."

But all of her efforts had obviously been fruitless. Louise stared at the fatter feline, suddenly realizing why he had always avoided the lord like the plague. She had been too lost in her own sadness, to realize before now the reason why.

"You love Haru."

He nodded.

"But she loves Baron. So she gets him." Grinning with a bit of evil sadness, he raised one paw like a fist. "And if he ever hurts her, he's goin' down, plain and simple."

Louise laughed a little and shook her head.

"Not a chance, Muta. I've known Baron for years. Now that he has someone he wants to spend the rest of his life with, he'll treat her like a princess. Haru's really lucky, that she's the one he wants."

The fat cat looked at her, and smiled sadly.

"You still haven't said whether or not you were okay."

Somehow, looking into his eyes, Louise knew that her answer had changed. She smiled back at him, feeling better, now that she knew someone perfectly understood her pain.

"I'll be just fine."


	15. Broken Hearts Mended

Extra

Chapter Fifteen: Broken Hearts Mended

Baron lovingly brushed caramel color onto the canvas stretched in front of him. Haru smiled back at him lovingly, although she was but a portrait. He chuckled, thinking about what she would say, when she saw this. Looking at the tiny clock next to his bed, he sighed and started putting his tools away.

Painting had always been a favorite hobby for him, and he had mourned the fact that being a lord, and a busy one at that, had kept him far from his paints. But he hadn't lost the knack for the craft, and he had already received three job offers, to paint murals around the little town. But today, and for the following month, there would be nothing on his schedule but Haru, and he was fully intending to savor each moment.

Taking off the painting smock, he rolled down the long white sleeves of his pure-white shirt, and buttoned the sleeves down at the wrists. He had a ruby-red vest on, and a dark navy bow tie. The rest of his ensemble was pure white, in honor of his wedding today. He thought it was kind of amusing, that Haru's grandfather had even provided wedding garments for him. A little magic had the white suit looking like brand new, and the blonde man was taking particular pleasure with the top hat.

Haru, being the little teaser she was, had decided to make her own wedding dress, and had refused to let him see it before today. He didn't doubt that it would be breath-taking, as one, she was a quilt-maker's daughter, and two; _she_ would be in the dress. What further confirmation could he require? He smiled warmly, knowing how much pleasure it was giving her, to tease him like this. As he shrugged on the white jacket, he heard a polite coughing from the door. He looked over, and smiled at his ex-maid.

"Hello, Louise."

She smiled back at him, the pretty periwinkle ribbon around her neck matching her eyes.

"I delivered the message. I don't know how the priest will take it, but I'm certain that you can handle whatever happens."

Her old master walked over to her, and stroked her back affectionately, getting her to purr.

"Thank you so much, Louise. You're a treasure. Muta's a very lucky cat."

She grinned at him and shook her head.

"Nice try, Baron. Today's your day, and Haru's."

He nodded, and straightened as the cat padded away, and down the tower. The tall man took in a deep breath of the salty sea air, appreciating the scent in a way he never could with the actual sea. This would be a good place to live with his wife, and even raise a family.

Being an only child, he had always told himself that when he grew up, he would find a girl that wanted a big family. Haru had known the same loneliness growing up, and had stated very clearly that she wanted more than one child, when they spoke of their plans for the future.

As he came down the stairs, he heard the doorbell ring. Grinning, he walked toward it, and opened the door.

An older woman was standing on the doorstep; her familiar caramel eyes widening at seeing a man. He grinned at the red-haired woman, and stood aside so that she could enter.

"Please come in, Naoko. I've been hoping to meet you soon."

Hesitantly, the woman came into the home, her eyes still locked on the blonde man.

"You're Baron, then?"

He nodded, and bowed elegantly for her.

"Haru's told me much of you. She's missed you terribly, the past year."

The woman looked down, almost too ashamed to speak.

"I'm impressed that she let me know about your wedding today, after… what I did. I don't know what came over me, to just _forget _my little girl."

Her future son-in-law tilted her head upwards so that they could lock eyes.

"I thought Haru made it clear that she's forgiven you."

"She did, but… I haven't quite forgiven myself yet."

Baron was about to tell her it wasn't her fault, but bit his tongue. If Haru's mother found out about what happened, it should be from her daughter.

"Mom?"

Naoko's head quickly turned to the stairwell, as did Baron's. His mouth opened slightly, and his heart seemed to stop beating.

Haru was descending the stairwell, in a manner that would have made him proud, if he was presenting her at the royal palace. The dress had a bit of a medieval peasant look to it, with short flowing sleeves and a modest corset bodice. Her flowing skirt echoed the sleeves, and she had pinned her long hair away from her face with small glass flower clips, which matched her modest necklace and single bracelet.

Beaming like the moon, Haru held her arms out to her mother, who ran into them crying like _she _was the child, and the brunette her mother.

"Oh, sweetie, you're so beautiful! I'm so sorry, for the past year, and for abandoning you like that."

Haru smiled deeper, and handed her mother a handkerchief.

"I know what happened, Mom, and I already said that I forgive you."

The woman jerked, and pulled a small envelope from her coat pocket.

"Honey, Machida sent this to you. He didn't want to come and ruin things for you."

Baron anxiously watched his bride take the letter, and open it to examine the contents. Her eyes alternately saddened and brightened as they trailed down the paper, which Baron could see had small wrinkled spots, like the old suitor had cried on it while writing the letter. He would have loved to have known what Machida said, but respected Haru's privacy enough to let her have her moment.

Smiling sadly, Haru rubbed at her eyes with one hand while folding the letter one-handed. She looked at her groom and smiled lovingly.

"Machida said to tell you that if you don't treat me the way he should have, he'll come after you."

Baron shook his head while walking toward her, getting a little practice done for his wedding as he kissed her softly.

"And here I was, thinking that I'd have to challenge him to a duel to leave you be."

She giggled, and kissed his cheek once more. The brunette looked at the clock and gasped.

"Uh, oh. We better get going, or the priest will cancel the wedding."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The priest in question was nervous enough when the bridal couple showed up. But this was more due to all the attendants he hadn't been informed on. He had his priest jacket in his hands, and he was trying to shoo the felines blanketing the pews and floors of his church out, but they just resumed their places after he passed. He bit his lip in exasperation as the bridal couple approached.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Gikkingen, but I'm having a little pest control problem."

Haru laughed happily with delight while a familiar white cat approached her with a litter of gray and white kittens, each bearing the mismatched eyes of the royal line. She stroked the little kittens lovingly.

"Let them witness the wedding, Sir. I'm certain that they'll leave afterwards."

One or two cats nodded their heads, before ones sitting near them swiped at their heads, remembering how not to act around ordinary humans.

Sighing in defeat, the priest pulled the coat back on, and started the ceremony. Neither Baron nor Haru remembered the exact words spoken; only knowing that they were now promising to love one another, to honor each other, and to cleave to no one else for the rest of their days. Looking into each other's eyes, they spoke two words. Two tiny words, which sealed their future together, for now and for the rest of their lives.

"I do."

ooOoo

Lots of love to; QuickStar, Drifting One, EarthGurdian, gacktxx, Bambi4ever, Lunarobi Pride, kittydemon18, Archon Dragon, NinjaoftheDarkness, EgyptLover4, Grassina3, anim3angel143, Lanari, sesshoumarufan18, Drifting One, asian9090, Rini's Ghost, Mizuki hikari, and Bibishi Kuronecko787 for all of the funny and thoughtful reviews.

Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this story, because, unfortunately, another one's on the way, and there's little you can do about it.

Except review, hopefully. Here's a sneak peek;

_A lonely half-feline meets his match in an equally lonely outcast among outcasts. Can they teach each other how to be comfortable in their own skins?_

Lots of love,

YarningChick


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